By Pascal Oparada
Social Media/Tech Reporter
Nigeria risks losing women who have either been rescued or fled from Boko Haram unless they are properly reintegrated into the society, the International Crisis Group warns.
Thousands of women who either fled or were rescued by the military since 2015 are in various stages of the reintegration process.
Many are subjected to sexual abuse and stigma, the Brussels-based rights group said in a report published by Bloomberg.
“Their hardship is a humanitarian concern but also could fuel the conflict,” the Crisis Group said.
“Either because they could return to Boko Haram or because their plight could deter male insurgents inclined to demobilize from doing so,” the report said.
Boko Haram and its offshoot, known as the Islamic State West Africa Province, are waging a 10-year-old violent campaign to impose their version of Islamic law on Africa’s most populous country of more than 200 million people.
More than 20,000 people have died in the conflict and millions driven from their homes.
More than 800,000 people are currently in hard-to-reach areas, largely under the control of the insurgents, according to the Crisis Group.
